The Best Arrogant
by Kalisca
Summary: 25th prompt of my 30 Kisses Challenge : Grade AU Sephiroth is an arrogant SOLDIER full of hormones with a secret crush on Shinra's General, Cloud, but the latter hates him


**This is the 25th prompt of my 30 Kisses Challenge, using 30 random words I picked with a word generator. The challenge will not be centered on one specific pairing or fandom.**

**The word was **_grade_** (The complete list is available on my profile page).**

**I didn't go for a serious tone with this fic, since it's an AU and Sephiroth is kind of a douche. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this, but I still like it! There's also an Agents of SHIELD's quote somewhere in there, I couldn't help myself. :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**The Best Arrogant**

Sephiroth was one of the best in his squad. In fact, he was the best, but people would never tell him because of how a little bitch he was, but he was Professor Hojo's son so he could get away with being a cold arrogant bastard. His teammates didn't like him, but some of them were still willing to drop the soap in front of him in the showers... or in the bathroom at night... or the dorms...

So Sephiroth pretty much had it all easy for him in the Shinra army, if it wasn't for one detail. His superior was a fucking asshole who hated his guts. This was all based on a misunderstatement (not really), but he didn't know the General was behind him when he insulted one of his comrades...

**xxxxxxx**

"I still can't believe you made it," joked Genesis, taking a drag from the cigarette niched between two slim fingers.

"What, you thought I wouldn't?" Sephiroth raised one eyebrow, smirking before snatching his cancer stick. Genesis frowned, but didn't comment. He lit another one instead, leaning more comfortably against the wall of the courtyard.

"What I'm surprised about is you didn't have to fuck anyone to pass the exams. Everybody knows how much the instructors hate you."

"It's because they know I'm better than them, and I'd never let any of those old rags touch me. Besides, you're one to talk." Sephiroth chuckled, and the redhead made innocent eyes.

"What? I'm not sleeping with Lazard he's my boss, what are you talking about?" He said, before winking.

Sephiroth swept his gaze around the court, watching the cadets running on the field. Some of them looked like they were fighting back the need to puke, and only their fear of their instructor kept them going. Truthfully, he didn't give a damn about them. He had been a cadet at some point, but never had been as weak as them. He had more mako than blood in his veins, thanks to his dear father, but he always had been the top of his class.

"Not everybody was born an alien like you..." added Genesis on a lower tone, and Sephiroth saw red. No one was allowed to call him a freak, not even his friends.

"What did you just call me, you little faggot?" He roared, his fist already grasping Genesis by the collar.

"Takes one to make one," smirked the other.

"Enough!" someone yelled behind Sephiroth, and Genesis' eyes widened when he saw who it was. He slapped the silver-haired man's hand in annoyance, and Sephiroth reluctantly released him, his jaw set. A large hand settled on the crook between his shoulder guard and neck, forcing him to turn around.

"How do you expect to succeed missions when you can't even stand your teammates, Sephiroth?" Cloud Strife asked. He seemed furious.

"What? I'm the one who can't stand my teammate? He called me an alien," replied Sephiroth, pissed and not even caring he was talking to a superior.

"And your only answer is to insult him and threaten him with your fists? This is not what we instruct you, soldier."

"I wasn't..." For once Sephiroth was at loss of words. He realized he was in the wrong, and there was no way he could get out of this one. Behind them, Genesis was watching in silence, until Cloud shot him a dark glance.

"This goes as well for you, Rhapsodos. Do not let me hear you insult one of your comrades again. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Genesis was prompted to reply, eager to walk from that situation.

"Get out then. And stop smoking around the building."

Genesis was too happy to obey, and Strife returned his attention on Sephiroth. His hand was still there, heavy.

"I thought only cadets could get into petty fights, but I see I was wrong."

Sephiroth wanted to put his fist into that face, as pretty he thought it was. He tightened his fists instead, looked away as if in shame.

"I was only trying to defend my honor... sir."

"Ah, stop, you'll make me laugh," drily said Cloud. "Kids like you transformed my childhood in hell, and there wasn't any honor involved."

He was no kid. Sephiroth pursed his lips, a snarky remark ready on his tongue, but Strife let him go before he could say it.

"I don't think a lecture will change anything in your little head though, so I'll just warn you..."

He looked at him with hard eyes, and Sephiroth felt a chill run up his spine despite himself.

"Don't cross the line, Sephiroth, because I will be watching you."

With that said, he picked his cigarette and dropped it on the ground before walking away, broad shoulders not having a care in the world.

**xxxxxxx**

Ever since that day, Sephiroth tend to tense whenever he'd see a blond head. Strife was true to his word and was watching him. Sephiroth had to be careful of whatever he was doing, because he never was far away. Surprisingly though, he wasn't as much pissed at the attention after a time. In fact, maybe he was kind of enjoying it. He felt less lonely, as stupid as it sounded, with Genesis and Angeal always being together. He was perfectly aware his superior wasn't interested in his person and only in the army's reputation, but what a great ass he had. And those arms...!

Sephiroth was pretty much becoming the fangirl he hated so much (because he had tons of fangirls and fanboys himself). He couldn't help himself though, he was still a young man full of hormones and of seemingly endless libido. It was a sad truth, however, than the General hated him.

Okay, so maybe being caught making out in the lockers or stuck _by accident _in a closet with someone wasn't the best thing Sephiroth could do to get approval, but seeing the blond's face when he was angry was totally worth it, he was hard just to think of it. He'd never admit it out loud though, it was his secret and would be kept hidden until he'd be First Class and could lock Strife with him in his office and lose the key... Yeah, he had to think of a better plan than this.

A crush was something all boys his age was going through, so he'd figure maybe it'd go away with time, if he'd stop thinking about it... It hadn't worked with his father Hojo, maybe it would with a mere crush, who knew?

Being stalked by his superior and fucking with his teammates weren't his only pastimes in the army, surprisingly, let's not forget he was the best of the second classes, and he was aiming to be the best of the best. With a bit of luck he'd be invited at Rufus' private parties soon. And by private, he meant _private._

He was using the best of his abilities on the field, in missions, and it was during these moments Sephiroth's aspirations were confirmed. He loved the satisfaction after defeating deadly creatures, often traveling through inauspicious regions for the human population, but also visiting Gaia's main attractions.

Wutai's war was gruesome, cruel and uselessly long, and yet he found the wutain cities were the most beautiful. Genesis always nowhere to be found (probably with Lazard) and Angeal taking care of a cadet named Faith or something like that, he had many opportunities to visit brothels. Men brothels, that is. It was true indeed the Wutain men were the most exquisite ones... except for Cloud, of course. Ugh.

**xxxxxxx**

Back at the Shinra Headquarters, after they won the war, Sephiroth found he didn't wanted to sleep around again. He was growing bored of this. After living for months in mud and tents smaller than his underwear (considering he was commando most of the time), he wanted something else in his life. He still wanted to be the best, that went without discussion, but recognition wasn't the only thing he was now craving. What exactly, he didn't know, and the void inside him was probably the most fearful thing Sephiroth ever felt.

Two weeks after their return, he got convoked by the General himself and he almost shat his pants. It never occurs well when your boss is calling for you. His fears worsened when he learned one of the Second Classes had been ejected from Shinra. Sephiroth thought about all of the mistakes he had made during those past weeks, every single detail, and too many things came to mind. He kept telling himself he couldn't be outside because he was the best, and his father was the sadistic bastard of the company, but it didn't really help. It was Cloud Strife we were speaking of, the sole General who hated him and had been his shadow for the past year (to think he didn't have anything else to do).

He was Sephiroth, by all means, he wouldn't get scared by Strife... but goddamn, he couldn't wait to get his ass out of that sad-looking waiting room. He was becoming crazy, and keeping his cold facade was getting harder by the minute.

"Sephiroth, you can go in," the secretary said, briefly looking up from her monitor, and the silver-haired man didn't know if he wanted to punch or kiss her. Instead he knocked on Strife's office door and entered.

Inside was a lot messier than what he imagined. Files were everywhere, but at least the desk was more or less in order, with a steaming cup of coffee smelling delicious, and Cloud sitting behind it, looking as delicious. He had thick frame glasses on, typing away on his keyboard, and a soft-looking blond bang was hiding one of his eyes.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" He asked without waiting. His mouth felt dry, and he was already growing impatient.

"Yes, Mister Hojo, take a seat."

"I'd rather like you call me Sephiroth, sir. I am not fond of my late name."

"Nor of the man who gave it to you, I believe? Well, that doesn't surprise me, nobody likes Professor Hojo."

Sephiroth simply nodded, bright eyes following Strife's movement as he searched something in a drawer to retrieve a rather thick file, _his_ file to be more precise.

"So, as you probably guessed, or learned from your comrades, your behaviour in Wutai was evaluated."

No, he never knew about that, and nobody had told him. Fantastic little fuckers. Sephiroth nodded again, and Cloud continued.

"In fact, we thought the soldiers' behaviour on the field there was a big determinant to decide whether they were promoted or not."

He shuffled through his file, blue eyes scanning, and the Second Class moved forward on his seat, trying to have a peak. He could see a lot of red... Oops.

"There, um..." Cloud hummed softly as he read. "Well," he said after a moment. That fucker probably already knew and was playing with him.

"Well?" He raised an eyebrow, trying not to let his nervosity visible. It wasn't really working, as he saw one corner of Cloud's full lips twitch.

"You got A+ for your skills and techniques, A+ for your leadership, but as for your social skills..." He frowned. "It looks like a little poop, with a knife in it."

"A... poop?" He asked in disbelief, eyebrows raising. What. the. fuck.

"Yeah, looks like it. The instructors think you're insubordinate and too much independent to work with the others. It says right here you were often disappearing without noticing your superior."

He finally closed the file and set it aside. "A First Class SOLDIER needs to work alone sometimes, but teamwork always has been the key to succeed missions. I learned more than once you were working on your own during missions..."

"Missions I succeeded, sir"

"You did, yes, but it only takes one mistake from your part to get yourself killed. We can't waste such talent like yours because you refuse to work with the others. I'm sorry, soldier, but you didn't make the **grade.**"

Sephiroth had to blink a few times before the information completely sank in.

"Excuse me?" He finally said.

"You clearly understood, Sephiroth, I don't need to repeat myself. You always thought you were better than your comrades, that having mako before the others made you superior, but the truth is, it didn't. You just had it easier and probably never realized it."

"How can you say this when you don't even know me? Is it because you stalked me during all these months, you think you know me better than I do?" He knew he was pushing it, but Sephiroth didn't care at the moment. Nobody but himself had the right to tell him he was lacking something.

"I didn't stalk you." For a moment, Cloud seemed flustered, but he cleared his throat and removed his glasses before speaking up again. "I'm not saying this just because I felt like it, Sephiroth. I have an offer for you, if you think you're ready to become First Class."

Sephiroth chuckled despite himself.

"An offer, really? Like what?"

Cloud shifted in his seat, looked unsure of himself for a moment. "Mister Deusericus and I talked about this, and well, we think you might need some more social interactions."

"I have already have social interactions..."

"Oh, yeah, trust me, I know about having _this _kind of social interactions, but that wasn't what I was referring to. Well... anyway." He was fumbling with his words now, which was a first. Maybe it was Sephiroth seeing things, but Cloud looked like he was asking him out. It probably was his own desires giving him false hopes, but oh well.

"Let me rephrase this. You want a date with me?" He bluntly said. Perhaps Genesis dating Lazard hadn't been for nothing now, he'd have to thank him. "I thought you hated me."

To his surprise, Cloud laughed while shaking his head.

"Why would I hate you? Except for the fact you're a bit too arrogant for you age, I mean?"

"Why did you keep following me then?"

To that, Cloud scratched the back of his neck and began to distractedly play with a pen. "At first it was to keep an eye on you, like I said. I didn't want you to become a bully to the others or anything because I knew who you were."

"Mmm, I see my reputation precedes me." He shifted in his seat before having the courage to ask "What about now?"

Cloud chuckled. "See, this is what isn't mentioned in the reports." He raised on his feet and walked around his desk to stand between it and Sephiroth, "How much you can be charming."

Was Strife hitting on him? Not really believing his chance, Sephiroth met his gaze.

"Charming? I usually like to take what I want without many detours."

"Mmm, I noticed that. So, tomorrow, 8 PM, be ready. My secretary will give you the card to your new apartment. Welcome to First Class, soldier."

Sephiroth raised from his seat and made his way to the door, muttering a "Thank you General" on the way.

"Sephiroth. Aren't you forgetting something?"

The man quietly sighed and tried to calm his heart, before he turned again. He hadn't heard Cloud move and he was now just a few inches away from him, and Sephiroth had almost forgotten how his gorgeous face was even more fascinating from up close.

"Sir?"

"For once, I'll try to do it your way", he said with a soft voice.

What? He couldn't mean - ? Cloud's bright blue eyes fell on his lips. Sephiroth couldn't tell who leaned forward first, but the next thing he knew they were kissing. Sephiroth has been kissed many times before, but the connection he felt was something he'd never experienced. It was passionate, but sweet at the same time, and he could feel Cloud's soft hair brush his forehead and cheeks, his warm breath on his skin as he shifted to deepen the kiss.

He pressed himself against him, and put his strong arms around his waist. Cloud's hands tangled in his silver hair, and he softly groaned, which earned him a chuckle. It felt so right, so warm. Sephiroth never wanted to let him go, but he had to before he'd lose himself.

"I - I should go." he muttered, licking his bottom lip, and Cloud's gaze followed the movement. They were still very close, their foreheads almost touching.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." He gave him one last chaste kiss before walking out. He was grateful the SOLDIER's uniform pants were baggy and for the new room, he felt like he'd have a lot of frustration to take care of before tomorrow evening.

**The end**

**So, if I'd do an alternativ****e ending involving smut and nothing else, would anyone be interested? :P **


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